#NotablePeople: Jennifer Zhang of JENerationDIY

Jennifer Zhang, a YouTuber with a following of over 2 million, wants you to know that you, yes you, can DIY your own successful social media channel with the technology you currently have – no fancy equipment required.

We had the chance to chat with her on how she got started, and about the most important ingredients for a successful social media channel.

The best piece of advice I ever received: Don’t compare your chapter 1 to somebody else’s chapter 20.

Someone I look up to is Zendaya.

First thing I do when I wake up in the morning is turn off my alarm.

I couldn’t do what I do without my family.

What made you want to start making Youtube videos?
I started watching a lot of YouTube when I was in high school, and at the time, DIY videos were super popular. I have always been creative and had been crafting my whole life, so I loved that there was a community that connected me to others with the same hobbies. One summer day in 2013, I was bored and decided to try filming a DIY I planned on doing anyway. It was exciting to be able to combine my pre-existing passion for DIY with the exciting challenge of video creation through teaching myself to film and edit. I’m so glad 15-year-old Jennifer was bored that summer and picked up that camera.

What advice would you give to someone looking to learn more about growing their social media business?
Consistency is key. Whether that be posting on a regular schedule or creating content that makes sense within the genre of your brand or channel. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to remember
you and be enticed enough to stick around. Don’t give up! While there are so many fun and amazing parts about being a YouTuber and social media influencer, it has its fair share of difficulties. There is a huge learning curve, and it will be hard in the beginning to gain any traction, but if you stick with it and create content you’re proud of, things will pick up.

What is your main career mission? 
I have a lot of career goals I want to work on, but at the end of the day, I hope that I continue inspiring people to express their creativity and individuality through DIYs, fashion, music, or whatever it is they connect to. If I can help distract, entertain, or teach just one person through my videos, I’ve achieved what I wanted.

How can I get into this career? What are the steps?
I think the beauty of YouTube as a platform is that anyone can get into it, and everyone has a chance to succeed. Other than setting up a channel first, a key step is to establish what you want to make videos about. Is there a passion that you have? Is there a skill you can teach people? The next step is to get filming and editing equipment, even if it’s just a phone. A lot of people worry about not having the best cameras or microphones, which holds them back from starting, but the key is to learn how to use what you have in the best way possible and be creative with it.

What type of person or personality is suited for what you do?
Because there are so many different genres and demographics of people watching, there’s something for everyone, and any type of personality or topic has the chance of finding its audience. However, I think to go far and succeed on YouTube, it takes someone who is dedicated, creative, and not afraid to be themselves. Someone who is adaptable and ambitious would also be able to weather the constantly changing culture and trends on social media.

Can you share 3 tips for being successful in this career?
1. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and take risks.

2. Be true to yourself. People can tell if something is off, and they won’t be able to connect with you.

3. Be patient! While it’s easy to think you might become a viral sensation overnight, most of the time, it just takes hard work and perseverance. In fact, a gradual growth can lead to a more engaged audience in the long run.

Tell us a secret about your job. 
It’s not so much a secret but more so just something most people might not know. A lot of YouTubers have teams behind them, including managers, agents, publicists, and editors etc. I definitely would not be where I am without my amazing team.

Anything exciting coming up?
I’m working on new music and merch that will hopefully see the world in the next couple months!

Check our Jennifer’s DIYs on her YouTubeInstagram, or  Twitter channels.